People

People

Xu Zheng

Renowned Shanghai actor Xu Zheng directed and starred in the comedy film Lost in Thailand. At the end of 2012， the film premiered on the Chinese mainland. In just three weeks， the low-budget hit steamrolled the competition to become the highest-grossing mainland film ever and the first domestic production to eclipse the one-billion-yuan mark at the box office， attracting more than 30 million spectators. To date， the movie has earned more than 1.2 billion yuan at box office. “I hope spectators appreciate our efforts to inject quality into low-budget film，” added Xu.

Li Na

The 2012 list of wealthiest Chinese athletes was recently released， with annual income of at least five million yuan as the threshold. Tennis player Li Na topped it with 112 million yuan， followed by hurdler Liu Xiang and swimmer Sun Yang. Of the 35 athletes on the list， 19 are engaged in international mainstream professional sports， including football， basketball， tennis， golf， and snooker.

Yuan Lihai

On January 4， 2013， seven children died and many others were injured in a fire that broke out in a private orphanage in Lankao County， central Chinas Henan Province.

The blaze engulfed the house where 48-year-old local Yuan Lihai looked after abandoned children and orphans she took in over the years. In 1987， Yuan took in her first baby： a boy born with a harelip. Since then， she has cared for more than 100 abandoned children and orphans. After the fire， Yuan was not only investigated by police， but also questioned by media about her motivations for caring for so many children. Some people criticized Lankao for its lack of a public orphanage and the local governments avoidance of that responsibility. Yuan declared that she would stop taking in any children if they have somewhere else to go， but if “the government does nothing， I will continue doing what I used to do. I just cannot bear to see young lives lost.”

MoMo Wu

Momo Wu （Wu Mochou） was born in northeast Chinas Heilongjiang Province. The 21-year-old girl has drawn major public and media attention for her stylish performances on the TV show “The Voice of China” in the summer of 2012. Often compared to Lady Gaga， the emerging pop singers career has developed fast. In just a few months since the conclusion of “The Voice of China，” Wu has graced the pages of many renowned magazines such as ELLE， Cosmopolitan， and Psychologies.

In January 2013， she topped a list of 2012s “50 most beautiful new artists in the world” compiled by a Chinese media outlet.

Quotes

“Nowadays， many young people complain that their generation is the most unlucky and pathetic. However， every generation of youth endures hardship. Every generation has its own struggles and fights， and every generation needs to make its own decisions.”

— Bai Yansong， commentator and China Central Television （CCTV） anchor addressing common complaints from the youth.

“The tendency over the past several years has considered development important and down-to-earth. Focusing on reform may offend people， especially those with vested interests. So， some officials are reluctant to reform. If this situation doesnt change， it will only become harder to deepen reform.”

— Economist Zhang Zuoyuan emphasizing that China should rethink reform and grasp its true meaning.

“Three centers have emerged in the world： The center of the financial crisis is in Europe， the center of global turbulence and regional wars is the Middle East， and the center for global economic growth is East Asia.”

— Wu Jianmin， former President of China Foreign Affairs University， believes China still faces many challenges and opportunities. The next ten years is crucial for the country.

“Fair and equal treatment can propel entrepreneurs towards a better sense of responsibility and bring their initiative into full play. By doing this， they will not leave for foreign lands to become second-class citizens， but reinvest their earnings in their motherland.”

— Zong Qinghou， chairman of Hangzhou Wahaha Group， Chinas top beverage company， believes that only after Chinas investment environment improves will profits grow and enterprises develop better.

“I want to express my sincere thanks to all the readers who queued up in chilly winds for hours yesterday to show their support for me and my book. I know you did this not because I am a ‘literary master， but because I speak truth in a fascinating and lively way. I have fears， too. But a writers value lies in his courage to conquer fear and speak the unknown.”

— Li Chengpeng， an online opinion leader. He expressed his thanks on Weibo to readers who came to Beijings Zhongguancun Book Building to attend a signing of his new book The Whole World Knows.

Nannings Pagoda Mountain

When traveling in China during the winter season， Nanning in Guangxi is a good choice. With a subtropical monsoon climate， the city gets plenty of sunshine year-round. Even in January， the coldest month in a year， the average temperature sits at about 13 degrees Celsius. About 10 kilometers southeast of Nanning， the evergreen Qingxiu Mountain scenic zone is comprised of 18 hills， covering a total area of 4.07 square kilometers sated with rolling mountains and lush trees. The symbol of the scenic zone， nine-story Qingshan Pagoda was first constructed next to the river during the reign of Emperor Wanli （1573 – 1620） of the Ming Dynasty.

Harbin Ice Festival

The 29th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival kicked off on January 5， 2013. By far the largest such exhibition in the world， the event attracts tourists from all over the world to experience a blend of stunning nature and amazing artwork.

The International Ice Sculpture Competition is one of the earliest and major events of the Ice and Snow Festival. This years event has attracted competitors from dozens of countries and from all walks of life， including painters and decorators. Along with the competition， visitors enjoy massive ice sculptures in the Ice and Snow World theme park.